Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-04-20
THE BASILISK.
a STORY OF O-DAY
NXXIII.

CHAPTER NXXIII.
Ibegan to feel alarmed as the lights Of
sae lamps and the shop windows shone
fspsn Mary's white face and closed eyes.
AsuS as l was upon the point Of ordering
she driver to stop at the first chemists shop
observed signs of returning life.
Mary opened her eyes. She started from
sns with energy, casting a look Of piteous
resolution at me, which spoke eloquent Of
the persecution and misery she had under
gone.
"Mary,"I said, "my darling, you are
safe nown
All the misery, and ten thousand times
the dangers I had gone through were as
nothing compared with the happiness of
seeing the change which came over that
beautiful and gentle face when I sboke.
There is something very piteous in the
sight OF the weak standing at bay, the de-
Senceless at last befriended by despair.
Some desperate resolution of resistance it
WAS, some impulse Of escape at any cost,
which prompted her to spring from my
shielding embrace, and turned the appeal
ang fear of her ayes into a look of troubled
courage. 1t showed that the limit of en-
DURANGO had been reached, and that her
enemies would no longer have had a passive
victim to reckon with. Though if her res
eve had been delayed but a little while
longer, the Instinct of defiance would, in all
probability, have been aroused too late.
At the sOund of my voice she started,
face. Then the revulsion of feeling, from
MISERY to joy, from despair to the certain
~ OF safety, sent such a light into her face
that it positively seemed to illuminate the
@s ess and to put the bright lights Of
There was no time for inquiry or for ex-
PLANTATION yet. The time was all too short
for the happiness that flooded our whole
beings.
"Safe! Safe" was the burden of the bliss
Suls song that was singing in our hearts, and
transforming the somewhat dingy fiacre
into a Cinderella's chariot, which would not
lose its magic beauty for the striking of all
the clocks in all the steeples of Antwerp,
50 the door of the Hotel st. Antoine. There
the first face saw was Shaw's II being
free from the t%orturing anxiety of the last
few hours, l had time to feel some com
junction for the way l had left him. He
looked positively i'll with an anxiety, and
the relief and the exultation which he
showed at u safe return warmed my
heart toward him more strongly, if possible
than before.
Mary was committed to the care of the
aandlady, and everything was lone to con-
duce to her security and comfort; but, tired
as she was, she would not go to bed before
see had joined Shaw and me, and sweetly
and thoughtfully thanked our good friend
for all that he had done on her andmy be.
half.
Shaw exercised a little of his professional
authority after a while, impressing upon
her the necessity of thorough repose after
all the dangers and anxieties she had gone
through.
Twas glad he did so, for I felt that he was
right, but could not bring myself to sug.
gest anything which should shorten the
first delightful talk, away from the horrible
atmosphere of mystery and crime that over
hung Hanover Lodge, free from the fear of
more dangerous Basilisk,
When Mary had gone I told Shaw my
story more in detail. 1t had been told al.
ready amid the excitement and Interrupt
tons of a general comparing of notes.
learnt now that Harper had been search.
ing tor me, full of fears for my safety, and
that Information had been sent over that
the mystery of the explosion. at Hanover
Lodge had not been cleared up, that nc
trace Of any of the inmates could be found.
and that no bodies had yet been discovered
"And what" said Shaw, d you sup
pose the Basilisk will do nows"
81 cannot tell: I cannot think at all yet,"
7 answered. II don't see what she can do,
but I feel sure that ii she can do us any
harm she will; and she is not an enemy to
be despised."
now for a while. Her intimate relations
with Plowitz, who was unprecedented on a
charge quite distinct from the attempted
abduction Of Miss Fortescue, will prejudice
her greatly if she brings herself in any way
under the notice OF the authorities.
@SHFa m1St take Mary hack tn EnC1ond :;
I said. ave shall hear no more Of Mr..
-Beaufoy now, and circumstances have
made us her guardians"
ayes" said Shaw; the sooner we are
back in England the better"
And we talked long and late over our
plans, arranging finally that Shaw should
make arrangements for Mary to stay for
the present with his sister, a widow, who
had a large and pleasant house at Rich
.znoad, where she generally, had charge Of
vtheu see what could be done to find out
tire state of her affairs and await the up
shot Of the police enquiries into the case of
Ptowitz and the disaster at Hanover Lodge.
Then, with a hearty and congratulatory
shake of the hand, and with minds free
from care and full of hope, we parted, and
I slept as a man should who had gone
through great suspense and come out tri:
Z1nphant.
In the morning Mary appeared looking,
to my joy and surprise, but little the worse
for her roubles and fatigues. Joy, hope,
and security had wrought a great change in
one night Of serene rest. Accompanied by
Harper and a subordinate, I set out about
eleven O'Clock for the scene of last nights
adventure, to obtain from old Mdme. Del
Druyck all the details we could, with d view
TO bringing the Basilisk within the grasp OF
the law. We arrived to find the house de-
serted and shut up.
!tNo matter" said Harper; ''we shall be
able to lay hands on them"
We then proceeded to the house where
Piowitz had first taken Mary, found
there the small travelling trunk which was
zll she had been allowed to bring with her
"Nell,'' said I on our return, tive had
better cross by %to-night's boat.
HYou can't very WELL" said Harper, IN
less you're going to let the whole thing
drop" r.
This I was quite willing to do, though tn
desire Of seeing condign punishment in
<Gicted upon all who had had a share in thi
fiendish scheme was very strong. Shaw a
first advised s1rong measures, but Mary wa
evidently i'll at ease till she should be again
on English ground, and this time anon!
friends
"What does it matter?" l asked. "Plowit
is accounted for without our interference